Car parks come in a wide range of designs and constructions. Many older car parks, built in the 1950’s and 1960’s, are composed of in-situ reinforced concrete with columns, beams and various types of slab decks, such as flat, waffle or ribbed. As design and construction techniques evolved in the 1970’s and 1980’s, an increasing number of car parks combined reinforced concrete frames with pre-cast elements like deck planks and parapets. These structures have now reached a point where they require remedial attention. More recent innovations include lightweight steel structures, typically featuring galvanised steel frames with pre-cast planks topped with structural concrete, composite or hollow-rib decks. Regardless of their construction type, all car parks will eventually need repair and protection to extend their service life.

For most car parks, the refurbishment process focuses on repairing damaged concrete, often caused by reinforcement corrosion and protecting the concrete to prevent or halt corrosion-related defects. Various techniques can be employed to restore defective concrete areas, depending on the size and complexity of the damage. These techniques include hand-placed, flowable or spray repair methods, all aligned with the corrosion management strategy for the structure.

We ensure that all the concrete repair systems we use are certified, pre-bagged and polymer-modified and that the protective coatings used, such as anti-carbonation coatings, comply with BS-EN 1504, the British Standard for the protection and repair of reinforced concrete. This standard includes ten parts covering material property test methods and specifications for key repair materials, including bonding, repair mortars, surface levelling mortars, anti-carbonation coatings and deck waterproofing. We recommend using a single-source system for all components to avoid complications related to warranties and performance issues.